The Punished Queen

Once upon a time, there lived a king as reliable as gold, as brave and strong as Samson. Every morning after mass, he generously distributed alms and administered fair justice equally to the poor and the rich.

Unfortunately, the queen was nothing like her husband. Never had anyone in the world seen, nor would they ever see, such a miserly and wicked woman as she.

The king and queen had only one son. Until he turned twenty-one, the king carefully oversaw his upbringing. Upon hearing of the slightest misdeed by the prince, he would immediately summon him.

"Listen, son," he would say, "when I die, you will rule the country in my place. Then there will be no one to teach you. But as long as I live, it is my duty."

The king would take a stick and beat his son with all his might. After the beating, he would send him to prison, where the prince slept on the bare floor, ate only black bread, and drank only water. That is why he soon became such a sensible and modest young man that everyone said:

"The son and father are worthy of each other. When the king dies, there will be someone to maintain peace and justice in our country."

One evening, at the end of dinner, the king said to his son:

"My son, I love you because you are just, modest, brave, and strong in spirit. Tomorrow you will turn twenty-one. I am already old and will soon yield the throne to you. Take all my horses, all my dogs, and as much money as you need. Go hunting, attend temple festivals, and enjoy yourself. But in six months, I want to see you married. Choose a good girl who suits your taste. I will not rest until I see your wife as the mistress of the castle."

"Thank you, father. May God bless you!" The queen listened in silence. But to herself, she thought:

"So, in six months, I will no longer be the mistress of the castle? We'll see!"

After dinner, she took her son aside:

"Here's the thing, son. Go hunting, attend temple festivals, and have fun. But it's too early for you to marry; you're too young. Find yourself a sweetheart. There are plenty of beautiful girls around."

The son lowered his head and said nothing.

The next morning, he left at dawn for the hunt and returned only at night. And from then on, he spent every day like this. The king was displeased and often said:

"My son, you return every evening laden with hares and partridges. But when will you bring us live game—a fine, beautiful bride?"

"Wait, father. There's no rush."

Finally, the king lost patience.

"So, you don't want to choose a wife? Well then, I'll choose one for you."

And a week later, guests arrived at the castle—the king of a neighboring country and his daughter. The princess was as beautiful as a clear day and as pure in soul as a saint. She knew many songs and sang like a siren.

The king's son abandoned hunting. From morning till evening, he sat beside the beauty:

"Sing, princess! Sing again!"

And the girl sang so sweetly, so tenderly, that, looking at her, the prince repeated to himself:

"She, only she will be my wife! If not, I don't know what I'll do!"

Finally, the guests left for home. And the young man grew deeply sad. But the old king was as cheerful as ever.

"So, they've left," he said that evening at dinner. "Safe travels to them, and may God grant that they not return too soon."

The prince turned pale as death.

"Father, please, don't say that! I can't tell you how much I've come to love the princess. If you don't allow me to marry her, I don't know what I'll do."

"Silly boy! You are already engaged to her. Didn't you guess? Tomorrow evening, we will all go to your bride's castle. And in a week, I want to see her here as the mistress."

"Thank you, father. May God bless you!"

The queen listened without a word. After dinner, she left and returned a minute later. The father and son clinked glasses. Both were very cheerful.

"Let's drink, my friend, to the health of your beloved."

"King," the queen said, "why don't you drink to my health?"

"To your health, wife!"

"To your health, mother!"

"Thank you! Let's drink again!"

All three drained their glasses. Five minutes passed, and the king turned as green as grass.

"What's wrong, father?"

The king fell to the floor. He was dead.

The next day, he was buried. The son distributed much gold and silver to the poor and priests. Returning from the cemetery, he said to the servants:

"Prepare a bed for me in my poor father's chambers."

"King, your command will be fulfilled." The new king locked himself in his late father's bedroom.

There, he prayed on his knees for a long time. Then, still dressed, he threw himself on the bed and fell asleep. He was awakened by the first stroke of the clock striking midnight. The ghost of the dead king was looking at him.

The ghost took his son by the hand and led him in the dark to another part of the castle. There, he opened a secret compartment and pointed to a half-empty vial:

"Your mother poisoned me. You are the king. Avenge me."

The ghost closed the compartment and disappeared. The young king broke out in a cold sweat from fear. But he was a brave and strong-spirited man. Quietly, he went down to the stables, saddled his best horse, and galloped off into the black night.

At the first light of dawn, he quietly knocked on the door of his best friend's house.

"Friend, misfortune has befallen me. I am leaving, going wherever my eyes take me. Go tomorrow to my bride in her father's castle and say this: 'Misfortune has befallen your fiancé. He has left, no one knows where. You will not be his wife. But he will not forget you and will never look at another girl again. Retire to a convent. Take the veil and pray for your friend until the day you are carried to the cemetery!'"

"King, your will shall be done." The king galloped off into the black night.

The next day, he arrived in a city seven times larger than Toulouse. There, he sold his sword, rich attire, and horse, gave the money to the poor, and continued on his way as a beggar, with a staff in his hand and a sack on his back. He walked until he came to a high mountain, so high that only eagles could reach its summit. On this mountain, the king built himself a hut. When he was thirsty, he drank water from mountain springs. When he was hungry, he satisfied his hunger with herbs and wild fruits, which were plentiful around him.

One evening, the king prayed in his hut for a long, long time until he fell asleep. When he awoke, the stars showed midnight. The ghost of his dead father was looking at him:

"Your mother poisoned me. You are the king. Avenge me."

The ghost disappeared. The king broke out in a cold sweat from fear. But he was brave and strong in spirit. And so, in the middle of the night, he set out on his journey. At dawn, he was already at the foot of the mountain. For a whole year, the poor king walked, step by step, forward, forward, without asking anyone for directions, and finally arrived in his kingdom. In the evening, hiding from people, he knocked on the door of his best friend's house.

"Hello, friend. Don't you recognize me?"

"You are our king!"

"Yes, I am the king. Tell me, how is my beloved?"

"Your beloved died in the convent."

"Tell me, what is my mother doing?"

"Your mother is still in her castle and reigns over the entire country."

"Now I know everything I wanted to know. Take me to some room. I am tired and want to sleep. And wake me before dawn tomorrow."

"My king, all will be done." The king lay down and fell asleep.

He woke up when the clock struck midnight. The ghost was looking at him:

"Your mother poisoned me. You are the king. Avenge me."

"Father, I will fulfill your will."

The ghost disappeared. The king broke out in a cold sweat from fear. But he was a brave and strong-spirited man. At dawn, his friend entered.

"Listen, friend! Tonight, I will leave my country forever. Here is a decree appointing you as king. Now, bring me a sword, attire befitting a king, and saddle a good horse in the stables."

The king galloped off. At sunset, he knocked on the gates of his castle.

"Hello, mother, dear mother!"

"Hello, my son. Where have you been? Why don't you answer? I want to know where you were."

"Mother, dear mother, I will tell you at dinner. I will tell you when we are alone at the table. I am hungry."

Mother and son sat down at the table. When they were alone, the king said:

"Mother, dear mother, you want to know where I was? I have been traveling around my kingdom. I married my beloved; tomorrow she will be here."

The queen listened in silence, without a word. She left and returned a minute later.

"Your wife will arrive tomorrow? All the better, let's drink to her health."

The king drew his sword from its sheath and placed it on the table.

"Mother, my poor mother, you wanted to poison me. I forgive you. But my father does not want to forgive you. Three times he came to me from the other world and said: 'Your mother poisoned me. You are the king. Avenge me.' And yesterday, I answered him: 'Father, I will fulfill your will.' Mother, my poor mother, pray to God to have mercy on your soul. Look at this sword. Look at it well. I give you exactly as much time as it takes to say a prayer, and after that, I will cut off your head if you do not drink the poison you poured for me first. Drink, drink to the bottom, mother, my poor mother!"

The queen drank the glass to the bottom. Five minutes later, she turned as green as grass.

"Forgive me, mother, my poor mother!"

"No, I will not forgive."

And the queen fell to the floor. She was dead.

Then the king knelt and prayed to God. Then he quietly went down to the stables, mounted his horse, and galloped off into the night. No one ever saw him again.

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The Punished Queen

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